The embodiments described herein are generally related to closure or tightening systems, devices, and methods for closing and/or tightening an article. The embodiments are specifically related to methods and components for quickly and conveniently attaching tightening systems, or components thereof, to an article.
Closure or tightening systems are commonly used to tighten and close an article. For example, a reel based mechanism may be used to close or tighten footwear. A knob of the reel based mechanism is typically coupled with a spool that includes a channel around which a lace is wound as the knob is rotated by the user. The reel based mechanism may include teeth that engage, or another ratchet type mechanism, that prevent counter-rotation of the spool and/or knob. Manufacturing the footwear to include these or other components of the reel based mechanism may be expensive and/or relatively complicated, thus discouraging some footwear manufacturers from using reel based closure systems. Accordingly, there is a need for facilitating in coupling the components of such systems with footwear and/or other articles.